Yu-Gi-Oh! Free Riders
by paganilover3000
Summary: Things were great. Then they were bad. Then worse. Then it was just pure disaster. The Barian race is on the verge of extinction. My self-appointed mission: To save it. My name is Acer Yuza. I may be human, but I'm also Barian, and my kind will survive, no matter how many of my duel cards I have to lay out. (Rated T for cussing. OC x Rio Kastle. Yuma x Tori. I use English names.)
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

**They say that when all is good, it can only go downhill from there. Everything can be perfect, and then suddenly, not so much. It can be as small as a failed school test, or as large as 9-11. Anything ranging from nothing more then a scraped knee, to a genocide. The larger it is, the more pain and suffering is spread. An entire race could be trembling in fear and helplessness, and that is where this story begins, and where everything fell apart.**

1 Year ago:

A young teen, about 16 years of age, is seen on his way to high school. This boy had pure white hair with a crimson red streak on the right going all the way from his bangs to the back of his head. His pupils were bright red, and he had a sharp yet cheerful look in his eye. He wore black Nike shoes with red lases, tan cargo pants, and a red t-shirt with black slash designs. Over that shirt he wore a small black unzipped hoodie, on his hands were two black fingerless gloves with small white cuffs, and on his head was a jet-black helmet that was red around the sides. Around his neck, he had a necklace with a small red gem on it. (Guess what it is). He was riding a duel runner, a motorcycle made for turbo dueling. It was black Lambda runner. On his belt was a small black box for holding his favorite cards. This boy's name was Acer Yuza, a duelist, and a skilled one at that.

Acer was riding along when he noticed what seemed to be a person ahead of him, and they weren't moving. Acer struggled to stop the duel runner, and almost flipped.

Taking off his helmet, Acer was quick to anger.

"Hey! When something is moving at high speed at you, ya' might wanna'..."

He suddenly caught himself when he realized who he was shouting at. His high school crush, Rio Kastle, aka, Marin, one of the Seven Barian Emperors. She was the same age as him, but one grade higher. (She skipped a grade).

"Oh my God, Rio! I mean, Marin! I mean, oh dammit!"

Rio was a little upset that Acer yelled, but couldn't help but laugh. "Hahaha, it's nice to see you to, Acer, and I'm fine with Rio."

"Hehe, sorry about that screaming, its just.."

"It's alright." Rio stopped him. "It was kinda' dumb to just stand there. I recognized your runner and tried to see if it was really you."

_"She recognized you! She recognized you! Thank God that wasn't out loud!" _Acer thought to himself. "Shouldn't Shark be with you?"

"About that, we got into an argument, and he took off without me. I guess I'm showing up late. AGAIN."

Acer snickered. He remembered how Shark had a habit of leaving Rio behind at home, 95% of the time on purpose. "Now you're sounding like Yuma. But my runner can hold two people, so I could give you a ride."

"Really? Thanks!" Rio then gained a new shade of red. _"That sounded way to excited." _ She thought to herself.

Acer smirked, then handed her a helmet. "Alright, hop on!"

Rio got on the bike, and Acer noticed a red crystal around her neck.

"You haven't worn that in forever Rio. Special occasion?" Acer asked.

"Nah, just felt like it."

"Okay then, so fast or slow?"

Rio was about to answer, when suddenly they both heard a loud honk. They looked behind themselves, and it turned out that while they were just sitting in the road, traffic began piling up behind them. One of the drivers shouted.

"Will you little punks move it, or will I call the cops?"

Acer and Rio got a panicked look on their faces.

"Okay then, fast it is!" Acer said quickly, gunning it and tearing off down the road.

When he got to school, heads started to turn. Acer was one of only a select few people to ride a duel runner to school, and the fact that Rio was riding passenger added to that. She was after all, one of the most crushed on girls in school. But the biggest reason was because of Acer's reputation among the rest of the students. Acer was a slight troublemaker and class clown. Peeking at test answers, "forgetting" to wear the school uniform (like now), swiping himself dessert at lunch, and every so often, snatch a dollar off another students lunch money. He normally never does anything big, because small things are just all the more fun and easy to get away with. The biggest thing he was ever caught doing was when he got in a fistfight in the lunchroom with both Alito and Shark when a prank gone wrong ended with a cupcake in Alito's eye, orange juice on Sharks torso, and ketchup on Acer's rear end. (Alito and Shark are another two of the Barian Emperors). Alito was knocked out cold, and Acer and Shark had to go to the hospital, Shark to get stitches in his forehead, and Acer to fix his broken nose.

Soon they were greeted by a few friendly faces, Yuma, Shark, Vector, and Tori. Shark and Vector also wore a necklace with a red crystal. Acer and Shark fist-bumped. "Hey Acer, did you run into a stop sign?" Shark was talking about the scar on Acer's nose.

"Well, that's a new one Shark, but I gotta know, how did your lobotomy go?" Acer said while pointing to the scar on Shark's forehead. They both snickered.

"Male bonding." Tori said while shaking her head.

"Hey it's just how we do things Tori, and you fell for it in the end." Yuma said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She blushed.

Rio walked up to Shark. "What the heck, Reginald?! I was almost late because of you!"

Shark just shrugged. "That was kinda' the point Rio." Than he looked at Acer. "Why'd you gotta' ruin it Acer?"

"Please, you shouldn't just leave a lady at home, wise guy."

_"He called me a lady! He really called me a lady! Thank God that wasn't out loud!" _Rio thought.

Vector smirked. "Lady huh? I wonder what you mean by that Acer?" Acer turned bright red, both in anger and blush, while Rio just opened her mouth a little and turned a little pink.

"Hey you guys, class is in five minutes!"

Acer and co. turned to the rest of the emperors, Mizar, Girag, Alito, and Dumon, on the schools doorsteps. It was Dumon who had shouted.

"C'mon, you guys don't want to be late, well other then Acer." said Mizar, smirking.

They smiled and went into the building.

**Everything may seem fine now, but just you wait. Things will go merrily along, and disaster will rear its ugly head. You've been warned.**


	2. Chapter 2: Just a Duel

In the school:

"Hey Acer!"

Acer turned and saw Vector catching up with him in the hall.

"Need somethin' Vector?" he asked.

"I do. Duel Me!"

Acer was caught off guard. "Right now? But we're in school."

"Since when did that matter to you?" said another voice. Rio was walking towards them. Vector trollfaced. "Here comes your girlfriend." he whispered.

"Shut the fuck up." Then Acer thought about it for a little bit.

_"She will be my girlfriend at some point."_

"Hey Rio. What are you doing?"

"I'm going to watch your duel. That is if that's okay."

Acer blushed. "Uh, sure! You can watch."

Vector smirked. "_He is doomed."_

"Alright turtle doves. Let's head to the rooftop."

Acer's eyes narrowed. "Just for that, I think I'll be a little extra merciless today."

* * *

><p>On the rooftop:<p>

"I gotcha' this time Acer. I'm running an 'Infernity' deck." Vector said.

"Never heard of it. Is it new?"

"Exactly the opposite. Infernity came out when Synchro monsters first appeared. They make good use of a quick hand."

Rio, who was watching, was confused. "What do you mean by 'quick hand?'"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Acer grinned. "Let's turn soon into now."

"LET'S DUEL!"

Acer: 4000 LP/5 in Hand

Vector: 4000 LP/5 in Hand

"I'll move first Vector. I draw!"

Acer: 6 in Hand

"When there are no monsters on the field, I can summon this guy without sacrificing. I summon the Lv. 5 Tuner, 'Obscured Red Wyvern!'"

Acer's monster appeared as a sleak red dragon with two small black horns. It's body was smooth with a slight glint, and it was shrouded in a purple fog.

**Obscured Red Wyvern: Lv. 5/DARK/Dragon/Tuner/ATK: 1800/DEF:1700**

"I'll place 1 card facedown and end my turn. Your move."**  
><strong>

Acer: 4000 LP/4 in Hand

"I'll be sure to make the best of this move. I draw."

Vector: 4000LP/6 in Hand

"I think I'll place a monster face-down and another card face-down, and I'll stop there."

Vector: 4 in Hand

Rio looked at Acer's field. "Both their fields look even, but Acer has a high level Tuner so he has a Synchro Summoning advantage." She quietly said to herself. Then she looked at Vector's field. "But Vector's always been known to use sneaky tactics, so that face-down monster could be an instant game-changer. On top of that Vector knows Acer's deck, but Acer doesn't even what 'Infernity' cards tactics are." She said to herself again.

"I draw Vector!"

Acer: 4000 LP/5 in Hand

"I summon the monster 'Obscured Orange Knight!'"

Acer's monster was knight in gleaming orange armor. It had a shiny black sword, and like his Tuner, had an eerie purple fog surrounding it.

**Obscured Orange Knight: Lv. 4/DARK/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1200**

"Next I play an Equip Spell, 'Obscured Armor.' When an 'Obscured' monster is equipped with this Spell, its ATK are boosted by 800, but its Level is reduced."

**Obscured Red Wyvern: Lv. 4/ATK: 2600**

"Lv. 4, with 2600 ATK. So you're either gonna' attack, summon a Lv. 8 Synchro, or a Rank 4 Xyz. What's it going to be?" said Vector.

"Just watch! I tune my Lv. 4 Wyvern and Knight."

'Obscured Red Wyvern' disappeared, its Level Stars creating 4 green Synchro Rings. 'Obscured Orange Knight' entered the rings. It then disappeared leaving 4 Level Stars. Both the gates and the stars disappeared, and a bright green beam shot forward.

"Behold, as the dark souls within these monsters combine, to form a fiery being that decimates all in its path! I Synchro summon, the 'Obscured Red Dragon!'"

Acer's new monster shot out of the beam. It looked similar to 'Obscured Red Wyvern,' but it was bigger, its scales were a darker shade, it's body mass was larger in comparison to its height, and it no longer had the black fog.

**Obscured Red Dragon: Lv. 8/DARK/Dragon/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2500**

Rio was excited. "That's Acer's best card!"

"It's about to get even better. First I activate my dragon's ability! When 'Obscured Red Wyvern' is used to summon this card, I look at the top card of my deck. If the card is a DARK monster, it goes to my Graveyard, but if its anything else, its added to my hand." Acer picked up the card. It was "Escape from the Dark Dimension," a Trap Card.

_"Not bad. This Trap will let me summon a banished monster." _Acer added it to his hand. "Now 'Obscured Orange Knight' will use his effect. He was sent to the Graveyard, and that lets me add 1 Lv. 4 or lower DARK monster to my hand. I select 'Phantom King Hydride.'" Acer added it to his hand. "Now by banishing 'Obscured Red Wyvern,' 'Obscured Orange Knight,' and 'Obscured Armor,' I can play the Spell Card, 'Obscured Gemstone,' and draw two more cards."

_"C'mon, Acer, no more stalling, take the bait." _Vector thought.

"Obscured Red Dragon, attack that face-down!" A fiery stream shot out of the dragon's mouth. Vector's face-down monster flipped face-up, revealing "Infernity Beetle." The fire obliterated it.

"Acer, you are to proud of that card." Vector sneered. "I was hoping you'd summon it out to play."

"You're kidding."

"Nope! I play the Trap 'Infernity Reflector.' By discarding every card in my hand, the monster you destroyed is summoned back, and you take 1000 points of damage." A fiery stream shot out of the Trap. Acer held his hands in front of his face, and managed to keep his footing.

Acer: 3000 LP

"Now my 'Infernity Beetle' will return to the field."

**Infernity Beetle: Lv. 2/DARK/Insect/Tuner/ATK: 1200/DEF: 0 (Defense Position)**

"Why should I worry? That monster has no DEF and your hand is empty."

_"He still doesn't know what I meant by 'quick hand.' And now that mine is empty, the fun will really start."_

"I'll place two face-downs and call it a turn, your move." Acer's face-down appeared.

Acer: 3000 LP/4 in Hand

"Okay then, I draw!"

Vector: 4000 LP/1 in Hand

"If 'Infernity Archfiend' is the only card in my hand when I draw, it's Special Summoned."

**Infernity Archfiend: Lv. 4/DARK/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1200**

"And with no more cards in my hand, my archfiend's other ability activates, so one 'Infernity' card in my Deck is placed in my hand."

Vector took "Infernity Mirage" and placed it in his hand.

"I'll summon that card now! Say hello to 'Infernity Mirage!"

**Infernity Mirage: Lv. 1/DARK/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0**

"Next I'll play his ability! When my hand is empty, I can tribute him, and summon two 'Infernity' monster in my Graveyard. I call on the Lv. 6 'Infernity Destroyer, and the Lv. 1 Tuner 'Infernity Avenger!'" And with that, two new monsters appeared on Vector's field.

**Infernity Destroyer: Lv. 6/DARK/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 2300/DEF: 1000**

**Infernity Avenger: Lv. 1/DARK/Fiend/Tuner/ATK: 0/DEF: 0**

"Next I'll activate 'Infernity Beetle's' ability! There are no cards in my hand, so I can Tribute him to summon two more 'Infernity Beetles!'"

Vector released the "Infernity Beetle" on his field, and two more took its place.

Acer was starting to feel a slight panic. _"He completely filled his field, and three of his monsters are Tuners. At least now I know what he meant by 'quick hand.' He used a card effect to get rid of his hand, then he used a bunch of monsters whose effects relied on that. 'Infernity' cards must depend on a player's hand to be empty. And its smart to, turning a disadvantage into a complete advantage, but what's gonna' happen next?"_

"First I'll tune the Lv. 2 "Infernity Beetle," with the Lv. 4 Infernity Archfiend!" Vectors monsters disappeared for his Synchro Summon. But this time, there was only two Synchro Rings, representing "Infernity Beetle's" Level, and four Level Stars, representing "Infernity Archfiend's" Level. "I summon, 'Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius!"

**Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius: Lv. 6/DARK/Beast-Warrior/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1500**

"That monster doesn't have the power to take on my dragon."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not done! I tune my other 'Infernity Beetle' with Sirius!"

"Another Synchro?"

"That's right! Now watch as these sinister beings combine, to form a beast straight from the Gates of Hell! I summon, the 'Infernity Doom Dragon.'" Acer flinched at the monster he saw, as it roared with power. Never had he ever seen a Dragon-type that had looked so undead. Not even "Doomkaiser Dragon" or "Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon" could compare.

**Infernity Doom Dragon: Lv. 8/DARK/Dragon/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2400**

"Are you done yet?" Acer said with a slight tremble.

"Nope! Not even close! Now I tune my Lv. 1 'Infernity Avenger,' with my Lv. 6 'Infernity Destroyer!' I summon, 'Dark Highlander!'"

**Dark Highlander: Lv. 7/DARK/Fiend/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2800/DEF: 2300**

"Hehehe, now I'm done with summoning, but it's already to late for you."

"Both our dragons have the same ATK. If you attack you'll be offing your best monster. You are the tricky type Vector, but are you really willing to take that risk?"

Vector just sneered. "Risk? What risk? In case you didn't notice, pal, I still have no cards in my hand."

Rio's jaw dropped. _"He's right. 'Infernity Doom Dragon' must have an ability. And that's bad news for Acer."_

"With my dragon's ability, since my hand's empty, He can't attack this turn, but one monster on your field is destroyed, and you get hit for half that monsters ATK."

Acer's eyes widened. "That's not good!"

"For you it's not, for me, it's a dream come true! Doom Dragon, destroy his 'Obscured Red Dragon!"

A bright purple fire shot out of the dragon's mouth, obliterating "Obscured Red Dragon."

"But it ain't over! Now it's your turn Acer!"

"Infernity Doom Dragon" eyed Acer, opened its gaping mouth, and opened fire. Acer was flung onto his back.

Acer: 1500 LP

"That was fun! But I'm not done!" Vector said in a sing-song voice.

"'Dark Highlander,' finish him!"

Dark Highlander swung its large scythe to strike.

Rio got panicky. "If this attack works, Acer's finished."

Acer got to his knees and shouted. "That's why this attack won't work! I play my Trap, 'Obscured Barrier! This card stops your attack, and then a Lv. 3 or below DARK monster is added to my hand." Acer's Trap unleashed a dark purple barrier, stopping 'Dark Highlander.'

"And now, I'll add to my hand, a Tuner, 'Obscured Green Ninja!'"

"That won't help Acer! See my highlander also has an ability worth noting. As long as it's on the field, neither player can Synchro Summon, pretty much making that Tuner useless."

Acer groaned. "Well that just made things tougher."

"Yup! Now I'll stop there!"

Vector: 4000 LP/0 in Hand

Acer smiled. _"This isn't the Vector I usually duel. I remember when Earth and Barian World went to war. I may not have really played a part in it, but I remember it like it was yesterday. You and Don Thousand were the main cause, and hurt a lot of people, both barian and human, but you reformed, even giving your life to save Yuma. After it ended, I met you and the others, and after a few duels, we were all friends pretty much immediately. But you still felt guilt for your sins, and even put away your old deck in order to cut a few ties with your past. You've tried many different cards ever since, normally using me as your opponent to test them. You won some, but lost most of them, and you didn't really enjoy those decks. But now your using one that suits you, and I know, win or lose, we're both gonna' enjoy this to the very end."_

"It's my turn. I draw!"

Acer: 1500 LP/6 in Hand

Acer looks at his hand, which contains "Obscured Green Ninja," "Phantom King Hydride," "Damage Eater," "Obscured Unity," "Mystical Space Typhoon," and "Obscured Purple Demon."

_"Now back to the task at hand. Doom Dragon will destroy anyone of my monsters immediately during Vector's turn, so I'll need a monster with enough ATK to destroy it first, but most of those guys are in my Extra Deck, and with "Dark Highlander" out on the field, that limits my summoning options. The only way I'll have the slightest chance at winning would be by reviving 'Obscured Red Dragon.' The only card in my hand capable of doing that is 'Obscured Green Ninja.' But then my dragon would come back in defense. Then it wouldn't attack, and Vector could take it out on my next turn. None of the cards on my field will summon it back either. I feel like there's a way, but I'll have to think outside the box to find it. Wait, I got it!"_

"I play the Continuous Trap, 'Obscured Drug!' To activate this card, I banish 'Obscured Red Dragon' from my Graveyard. Then my Life Points are boosted by his ATK. But if this card ever leaves the field, I lose Life Points equal to half of the banished monsters original ATK."

Acer: 4500 LP

"You may have increased your Life Points Acer, but that Trap just made it even harder to summon back your only hope to win. When you banished that dragon, every chance you had at winning went along with it."

Acer smirked. _"That's what he thinks, but my other face-down is 'Escape from the Dark Dimension,' a Trap that can summon back a banished monster, which means my dragon will return to fight."_

"You haven't won yet, Vec..."

**BOOM!**

Acer, Vector and Rio just stood there, wondering where that noise came from. Then they looked up and saw a few helicopters that were abnormally close to the ground, flying to the other side of the school. Downstairs, there was screaming and yelling.

Rio got scared. "What's going on?"

Acer took off his duel disk and gazer. "I'm about to find out. Sorry Vector, but the duel has to wait." Acer ran towards the exit.

"Wait Acer, where are you going?" Vector asked, closely behind him, with Rio not far behind.

* * *

><p><strong>And so, the disaster has struck, and it won't get any better from there.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Beginning of the End, Part 1

Downstairs:

Acer, Vector, and Rio made it to the main floor, and they couldn't believe what they saw. Many of the high school students were running down the hall, screaming. They all looked human, but most of them they recognized as barians.

"What the hell are they running from?" Vector asked frantically. And right on cue, grown men were running down the halls, armed with riot gear.

Sudddenly, there was an announcement, but the principal wasn't making it. It was Yuma speaking.

"Everyone get out of the school and away from here! These guys are after barians, so try to get them to safety!" The intercom shut off.

"What do these guys want with the barians?" Rio asked, alarmed.

"Hey you! With the red crystals around ya' necks!"

The three looked over and saw a man in a military uniform coming towards them.

"I know you're barians! You three are comin' with me!"

Panicking, Rio touched her crystal, which started shining. "Barian battle-morph!" And with that, Rio became her barian form, Marin.

"That won't work, little girl!" The military man took out what looked like a dart gun. He pulled the trigger, and he hit his mark, right on Rio's shoulder.

"Ow! What the... Aaaaaaugh!" The dart unleashed an electrical surge. Rio reverted back to her human form, and was knocked out.

"Rio! What did you do to her?" Acer screamed.

"That dart unleashed a special electrical surge that placed a temporary virus in her body, and as long as it's active, her barian powers will be useless, but she'll wake up in due time. Now both of you come here, and if you change form, well, just look at her."

Acer and Vector looked down at Rio. She was still knocked out, but at the same time, she looked like she was in pain. Acer got an idea, but it was a long-shot. He walked towards the man with his arms in the air. "Acer, what hell are you doing?"

"Zip it orange-head! Now turn around and put your hands behind your back! Now!"

Acer smirked. "Hmmm... Nah." Instead of turning around, Acer shot his foot up and placed it right between the man's legs. The man fell to his knees, sucking in air with his hands on his crotch.

"When your boss asks what happened, you can tell him you got your ass whupped by a boy not even out of high school." Acer sneered, planting the sole of his shoe right in the man's face, knocking him out cold. Acer walked over to Rio and lifted her up, bridal style.

"Let's get outta' here!"

Acer and Vector ran through the halls dodging security.

"Wait a minute Acer! What about Shark and the other emperors? They're in danger to!"

"If we escaped, there's no way those guys would let themselves be caught! We gotta' keep moving!" The three Barians made it to the parking lot, where Acer's and Vector's runners were parked. Vector's was an Omega Hawk model, a long runner with one big rear wheel.

Acer handed Rio to Vector. "Take Rio and get outta' here!"

"Wait, what are you gonna' do?"

"I'm gonna distract them. My runner will outrun those assholes easily, so I'll buy you some time."

"You're one crazy bastard. But alright, I'm putting my faith in you."

"Ditto. Now go to my house. Below the basement we have a small panic room, one that they won't be able to break into. Take our television remote, go downstairs and enter 4-3-1-1. A secret hatch will open."

Vector went over to his runner, placed Rio on it and gunned it. Acer stood by his runner with his helmet on and his deck ready, just waiting for trouble, and after a few minutes, it came. Some more men came by. One of them was the military man he knocked out, and he looked pissed.

"Hey, punk! Where are your little friends?!"

"Long gone, and you'll never find them!" Acer hopped on his runner and tore off down the street.

"I want a turbo duelist hunting that brat down! NOW!"


	4. Chapter 4: Beginning of the End, Part 2

At Acer's Home:

Rio was awake and informed of what happened, and Vector was searching for the remote.

"C'mon, where is... Got it!" Vector picked up the remote, and as he and Rio headed downstairs, his duel gazer rang.

"Vector! It's me Acer! Are you safe?"

"I just found your remote and we're heading downstairs." Vector replied.

"Good, but there's one more thing. In the room there's a small computer that can connect with my duel runners mainframe. You might want to turn it on, 'cause if I get in any duels, you might want to witness the play-by-play!"

"Alright, I'm on it! And I got some good news. Rio woke up, but her barian powers are still inactive."

"Can you put her on?"

"Sure." Vector handed his gazer to Rio. "Acer! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, and I'm glad you are to. Just get downstairs."

"I will. And Acer?"

"What?"

"Be safe."

Acer grinned. "I never was one to play it safe. Just expect that I'll be there real soon." He hung up. As he did, tears started streaming down Rio's face, but she wiped them away quickly, but not before Vector noticed.

_"She really does feel the same way."_ He thought to himself.

"C'mon Rio, let's get downstairs."

They went downstairs, and just as Acer said, when Vector entered the code, a secret hatch appeared.

"Nice." Vector said, impressed. They went down, and it was like a small safehouse. There was a TV, a radio, some food, and the computer Acer mentioned. Vector turned it on, and it connected with Acer's duel runner. It looked like Acer was dueling.

"Look's like Acer just got in a duel." Vector grinned. "Whoever's facing him has no idea who he's messing with."

* * *

><p>On the Highway:<p>

"I never was one to play it safe. Just expect that I'll be there real soon." He hung up. A tear went down Acer's face.

"How long will that virus stay in Rio's system, and what do these guys want with the barians?"

"That's none of your concern, punk." Said a voice from behind. Acer turned around and saw a white beta frame duel runner. The person riding it wore a grey helmet and a thick pair of goggles.

"Who in the world are you?"

The man snickered. "The name's Grant, little boy, and I'm happy to tell you that I'll be the one taking you in."

"Assuming you can keep up with me." Acer deadpanned, working the throttle and accelerating.

"That'll be easy!" The man also accelerated, and was almost right next to Acer.

"Well this is getting us nowhere. Let's make this fun. I'll duel you, and when I win, you back off!" Acer said, grinning.

"I'll accept those terms. I activate "Speed World 3!"

* * *

><p>Note:<p>

In "Speed World 3," only "Speed Spells" can be played. To activate "Speed Spells," you must have the required Speed Counters, which are gained every Standby Phase. When taking battle damage, you lose 1 Speed counter for every 1000 points of damage you take in one hit. You can remove Speed Counters when you have a "Speed Spell" in your hand to play the following effects:

3- Activate a Trap from your hand.

4- Inflict 800 points of damage to your opponent for each "Speed Spell" in your hand.

7- Draw 1 card for each "Speed Spell" in your hand.

10- Destroy 1 card on the field for each "Speed Spell" in your hand.

* * *

><p>"Ready to ride, punk?"<p>

"FYI, the name's Acer, smartass. And yes, I am."

"LET'S DUEL!"

Acer: 4000 LP/5 in Hand/0 Speed Counters

Grant: 4000 LP/5 in Hand/0 Speed Counters

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	5. Chapter 5: Beginning of the End, Part 3

"I'll go first, Acer! I draw!"

Grant: 4000 LP/6 in Hand/1 Speed Counter

"I summon 'Evilswarm Castor!'"

**Evilswarm Castor: Lv. 4/DARK/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1750/DEF: 550**

"When I summon this guy, I can summon another 'Swarm' monster, so I'll sacrifice 'Castor' to Advance Summon, 'Steelswarm Girastag!'"

**Steelswarm Girastag: Lv. 7/DARK/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 2600/DEF: 0**

Acer got suspicious. "Wait a minute, you need two sacrifices to tribute summon a Lv. 7!"

"Actually, Girastag's ability let's me use one 'Swarm' card in order to summon him! I place a face-down and I'll end there!"

Grant: 4000 LP/3 in Hand/1 Speed Counter

"It's my move then!"

Acer: 4000 LP/6 in Hand/2 Speed Counters

"You have monsters, but I don't, so I Special Summon Vice Dragon!"

**Vice Dragon: Lv. 5/DARK/Dragon/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 2400**

"As a cost, I have to slice my dragon's in half!"

**Vice Dragon: ATK: 1000/DEF: 1200  
><strong>

"Now I summon the Tuner, 'Obscured Green Ninja!"

**Obscured Green Ninja: Lv. 3/DARK/Warrior/Tuner/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000**

"I tune the Lv. 3 'Obscured Green Ninja' with the L. 5 'Vice Dragon!' Behold, as the dark souls within these monsters combine, to form a fiery being that decimates all in its path! I Synchro Summon the 'Obscured Red Dragon!"

**Obscured Red Dragon: Lv. 8/DARK/Dragon/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2500**

"I'll place a face-down, and now 'Obscured Red Dragon,' turn 'Steelswarm Girastag' into a well-done, Girastag! Go, shooting darkness!"

"Not so fast, punk! I play 'Infestation Terminus!' This card banishes Girastag!" Grant's monster turned completely black, and faded into dust.

"Why'd you toss him? You're wide open now!"

"Not really, 'cause now my Trap sends your face-down to your hand, and your dragon back to your Extra Deck." Acer's cards glowed and disappeared, with his face-down reappearing in his hand.

"The funny thing is kid, Terminus requires you to have at least two cards on your field to activate it. So if you had placed that card face-down later, I wouldn't have been able to play it. Shame really, but I can't say I'm complaining."

Acer grunted. "I won't deny that you're right, but since this card is back in my hand, I can just play it face-down again."_  
><em>

"Really? Why don't you just use 'Speed World 3's' effect? At the minimal cost of three Speed Counters on my next turn, you could play that from your hand, and not risk me destroying it first! Do you just want to save your Speed Counters, or do you just not have a 'Speed Spell' in your hand?"

"I'll think I'll just keep you guessing, Grant. I play a face-down and end my turn, now let's see what you got!"

Acer: 4000 LP/3 in Hand/2 Speed Counters

"Careful whatcha' wish for! I draw!"

Grant: 4000 LP/3 in Hand/3 Speed Counters

"I'll play the 'Speed Spell,' 'Angel Baton!' Because I have at least 2 Speed Counters, I draw two cards and discard one! Next I'll summon another 'Evilswarm Castor!'"

"Another one?"

"That's right, and you should remember his effect! Now I can Normal Summon 'Steelswarm Caller!'"

**Steelswarm Caller: Lv. 4/DARK/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 1700/DEF: 0**

"Next I'll play my face-down, 'Call of the Haunted,' so I can bring back 'Evilswarm Castor!'"

"Wait, that's three monsters!"

"Right! Now, I could attack you, but I got something more fun in mind! I'll Overlay these three Lv. 4 monsters! With these three monsters, I build the Overlay Network and Xyz Summon, 'Evilswarm Ouroboros!'"

**Evilswarm Ouroboros: Rank 4/DARK/Dragon/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2750/DEF: 1950/3 Overlay Units**

"Okay, that's one freaky lizard!" Acer exclaimed.

"Just wait, 'cause it gets even scarier! Now you see, my Ouroboros has three effects, each only capable of being played once while its on the field, and I'll activate the first effect! I'll just remove an Overlay Unit, and that face-down will go back to your hand!" Ouroboros ate one Overlay Unit, and Acer's face-down disappeared, once again reappearing in his hand.

"Ugh, not again!"

"Sorry kid, but to activate it this turn, you'll have to use Speed World's effect! Ouroboros, attack Acer directly with Infinity Dark!" Purple streams shot out of all three of Ouroboros's heads heading straight for Acer.

"I guess I don't have a choice! I'll use 'Speed World 3's' effect! Since I have the 'Speed Spell,' 'End of the Storm' in my hand, I can play this Trap from my hand! 'Defense Draw!' This trap negates all battle damage, and I draw one card!" "Defense Draw" deflected "Evilswarm Ouroboros's" attack, and Acer drew one card.

"Hmph! Well lucky you, getting another draw. Look's like you get to compensate for just having lost three Speed Counters!"

"Just zip it and continue your turn!"

"Anxious to get beat, are ya'? Whatever, I'll stop there. Your move."

Grant: 4000 LP/1 in Hand/3 Speed Counters

"And you're going down! I draw!"

Acer: 4000 LP/3 in Hand/1 Speed Counter

Acer checked the field and tried to strategize.

_"This isn't looking good. I haven't lost any Life Points, but this guy has a powerful monster on his field with two Overlay Units, and four Speed Counters. I don't have any cards on my field, and only one Speed Counter. If I don't come up with a strategy to counter this guy, I'll be wiped out in no time flat!"_

* * *

><p>Meanwhile in the Panic Room:<p>

Vector just stood there, looking at Acer and Grant's play-by-play on the monitor.

"C'mon Acer! This guy should be a cakewalk!"

While Vector was ranting, Rio was looking down at her cards. They were "Ice Barrier" cards, a WATER deck based mostly on defense.

_"Acer's giving it all to protect us, and that makes him strong. Vector managed to put the past behind him, and even built a new deck, and that makes him strong, but what about me?"_

* * *

><p>Flashback:<p>

"You're throwing away your deck?" Acer asked, obviously surprised.

"Not throwing away. I'm putting it away."

"Why Vector?" Rio asked, also surprised.

"With this deck I did terrible things to both humans and barians alike. I'm trying to cut some ties with my past."

Acer raised an eyebrow. "You're still gonna' duel, right?"

"Of course, it just won't be with this deck. I'll cling onto it, but I just don't have the heart to use it."

"Alright man, good luck finding a replacement deck." Acer said as he left the room. As he did, Rio looked down at her cards.

_"Maybe I should do the same."_

* * *

><p>Flashback Ends:<p>

_"Just like Vector, I put away my old deck. But unlike Vector, not only did I make only one deck, but I haven't even used it yet. I don't know how strong it is. I haven't even dueled in forever, so I don't really know how strong I am. No one even knows that I changed up my cards. Today, I was even the damsel in distress who got knocked out and had to be rescued by both my friends. I wonder if it was even worth their effort."_ Rio shed a few tears, but quickly wiped them away. Vector then turned around, and saw her cards spread out. He started walking over. "Rio, what are you looking at? That's not your deck."

When Vector said that, Rio quickly picked up her cards and put them away, but didn't notice that Vector snatched one.

"This card is 'Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier.' When did you start using Synchros, much less 'Ice Barriers?'"

Frustrated, Rio snatched her card. "Technically, I don't. When you changed your deck years back, I had the idea to do it to do it to. But then, well, I just lost my confidence and I haven't even dueled in years. And by the way, you're not the only one I left in the dark. The only person who knows about that deck is me."

"Well it's time you get back in the game. When Acer gets back, we're dueling."

Rio got a surprised look on her face. "Really Vector, you gotta' stop bringing up this stuff right outta' the blue. But I guess you won't take no for an answer. I'm gonna' watch Acer's duel." Rio scowled and walked towards the computer.

When Rio walked away, Vector got a smug look. He reached behind his back and hung up his duel gazer. "There you have it Acer."

* * *

><p>Back at the Duel:<p>

Acer noticed that Vector hung up.

"Thanks for that Vector."

Acer then looked at his hand. He got an idea.

"I place a monster face-down and one more card face-down. I'll end there."

Acer: 4000 LP/1 in Hand/1 Speed Counter

_"And if my plan doesn't work, this might just be the last turn I ever end."_

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	6. Chapter 6: Beginning of the End, Part 4

"That was a pretty quick turn Acer! You're looking pretty desperate. Well now it's my turn!"

Grant: 4000 LP/2 in Hand/5 Speed Counters

"I activate another one of Ouroboros's abilities! Another Overlay Unit goes bye-bye!"

**Evilswarm Ouroboros: 1 Overlay Unit**

"And now so does a card in your hand!"

Acer groaned, and discarded the last card in his hand, the "Speed Spell," "End of the Storm."

"Next, I'll summon 'Steelswarm Setinel!'"

**Steelswarm Setinel: Lv. 3/DARK/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 1100/DEF: 0**

"Now Ouroboros will attack that face-down monster!" Acer's face-down was revealed to be "Obscured Orange Knight," which was destroyed.

"When 'Obscured Orange Knight' is destroyed, I can add a Lv. 4 or below DARK monster from my Deck to my hand! I select 'Battle Fader.'"

"That won't protect you from my Setinel's attack!" When Grant said that, a red eye beam shot out of "Steelswarm Setinel's" eye, hitting Acer and enveloping him in smoke.

"That ought to teach you a... Wait, what?!"

Acer appeared out of the smoke, completely unscathed. He also had a new monster on his field.

**Battle Fader: Lv. 1/DARK/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0 (Defense Position)**

"Why didn't your Life Points take a hit? And how did that guy get on the field?"

"It's actually kind of ironic. Remember when I said I added 'Battle Fader' to my hand, and you said he couldn't help? Thing is he actually did! When 'Battle Fader is in my hand when your monster attacks, I can summon him to the field, and thus automatically end the Battle Phase."

"Shit! Oh well! I'll just have to play my 'Speed Spell,' 'Speed Storm!' Now I'll remove 4 Speed Counters and you take 1000 points of damage!" Grant's card shot an electrified tornado at Acer, and this time he hit his mark. And due to "Speed World 3's" effect, Acer lost one Speed Counter.

"Ugh, dammit!"

Acer: 3000 LP/1 Speed Counter

"Finally, I made a dent in you! But look on the bright side! Now I don't have more Speed Counters then you! But I actually got more bad news, 'cause when 'Speed Storm' is in the Graveyard during my Standby Phase, I can remove three Speed Counters to bring it back to my hand! So in a few turns, it will be back in my hand, and in a few more, I can dish out another hit with it!"

_"Come on! I can't last much longer in these conditions!"_

"You're through! You have one measly monster on the field, and no cards in your hand! Meanwhile, I've got two, and one of them has over 2000 ATK! I'll end my turn, and soon, I'll end you too!"

Grant: 4000 LP/0 in Hand/1 Speed Counter

"I draw!"

Acer: 3000 LP/1 in Hand/1 Speed Counter

"I play 'Call of the Haunted' to revive 'Obscured Green Ninja,' and because I did, I'll also summon from my Graveyard my 'Obscured Orange Knight!'"

**Obscured Green Ninja: Lv. 3/DARK/Warrior/Tuner/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000**

**Obscured Orange Knight: Lv. 4/DARK/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1200**

"I tune my Lv. 3 Ninja with my Lv. 4 Knight! I Synchro Summon, 'Obscured Jade Samurai!'"

**Obscured Jade Samurai: Lv. 7/DARK/Warrior/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2800/DEF: 2200**

"Okay, that don't look good!"

"Oh, don't worry, it gets better! I play my knight's ability, and add one DARK monster to my hand, like 'Obscured Yellow Archfiend!' And next up is my Samurai's ability! I'll discard my archfiend to the Graveyard to destroy 'Evilswarm Ouroboros!'"

Acer discarded "Obscured Yellow Archfiend," and "Obscured Jade Samurai" swung its katana, destroying "Evilswarm Ouroboros."

"No! My Xyz Monster!" Grant shouted.

"And I'm not done, because since an 'Obscured' monster is on my field, I can resurrect 'Obscured Yellow Archfiend!'"

**Obscured Yellow Archfiend: Lv. 2/DARK/Fiend/Tuner/ATK: 1400/DEF: 0**

"And now I'll summon 'Axe Dragonute!'"

**Axe Dragonute: Lv. 4/DARK/Dragon/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1200**

"Once more! I tune my Lv. 2 'Obscured Yellow Archfiend,' to my Lv. 1 'Battle Fader,' and my Lv. 4 'Axe Dragonute!' I Synchro Summon, 'Obscured Gold Diablo!'"

**Obscured Gold Diablo: Lv. 7/DARK/Fiend/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 1900**

"Another Synchro? Hmph!" Grant wasn't any more unnerved.

_"My face-down card is the Trap, 'Mirror Force.' With that card, if he attacks, both his samurai and diablo will be destroyed. Then he'll be defenseless. This match is mine!"_

"Diablo's ability activates! By banishing 'Obscured Orange Knight' from my Graveyard, I can destroy your face-down card!"

"What? No way!"

"Obscured Gold Diablo" gave a loud screech, and destroyed Grant's face-down card.

"But with 'Mirror Force' gone, that means..."

"It means I win!" Acer interrupted. "Diablo, attack his 'Steelswarm Setinel!'"

"Obscured Gold Diablo" shot a golden beam at "Steelswarm Setinel," destroying it.

Grant: 2600 LP

"And now my samurai will take it home!" "Obscured Jade Samurai" slashed at Grant, finishing his Life Points.

Grant: 0 LP

Winner: Acer

Grant spun out and fell off his runner. Acer ran over, but it wasn't to help him up. He grabbed Grant by his shirt collar and pinned him against the wall.

"I'm not fooling around Grant! What do these guys want with the barians? Answer me!"

"My answer is, I ain't tellin' you shit!"

Acer gave off an evil looking smirk. "You know, I was actually kinda' hoping you'd say that." Acer picked up Grant and threw him over the edge of the bridge, grabbing his ankle and just barely preventing his fall.

Grant screamed. "Whoah! What the fuck are you doing?!"

"This can go two ways, asshole. You tell me what I want to know, or you pray that someone fishes you out. Your choice!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me!" Acer started to loosen his grip.

"Alright, you win! It's some secret government group! They're kidnapping any barians they can find!"

"What's it for?!"

"I've only heard rumors! They could be getting jailed, killed, or put in isolation, and any human caught helping them will be hurt to! But I heard the worst is when they're taken to special labs where painful and possibly lethal experiments are conducted on them!"

As Acer was being told this, his jaw dropped and tears started streaming down his face. He shouted in a rage. "AND YOU WERE GONNA' PUT ME AND MY FRIENDS THROUGH THAT?!"

"Please man, don't shoot the messenger!"

"This is one message you should've known not to send!" Going back on his word, Acer was about to let go, but he heard a voice behind him.

"Don't do it Acer!"

Acer's eyes widened. He recognized that voice.

"Rio?"


	7. Chapter 7: The End (Not Really)

Acer turned around and saw Vector on his duel runner with Rio standing next to him.

"Acer, what do you think you're doing? This isn't like you at all!" Rio said.

"What're you doing here?" Acer asked. Then Vector spoke up. "Rio saw your play-by-play on the monitor, and it looked like you were in a tight spot, so she insisted we come. Guess you do need some help, just not with the duel."

"Help? Did you here what this guy told me?"

"Every word of it, but you're better than this. Don't be a murderer, you'll only give humans all the more reason to hurt us."

"Listen to your friends, please!" Grant pleaded.

"Shut it! You've got no say in this!" Acer shouted.

"Don't do it Acer." Vector said one last time.

Acer looked at his friends, then looked down at Grant. He groaned, then pulled Grant back up. Grant got up and just stood there.

"Hmph! You know I'm not the only one comin'. There are more men who want you three." Grant said.

Having heard enough, Acer got an angry look in his eye, spun an volley kicked Grant in the side of the knee. A loud snap was heard, and Grant was on the ground, clutching his knee and screaming. Acer had broken Grant's leg.

"You're one pathetic scumbag." Acer spat. Rio's and Vector's eyes widened. They had never heard Acer speak with such venom in his voice. Acer walked over looking down. "C'mon, we have no reason to be here." Acer got on his runner, and Rio with him. "Let's go home."

Acer and co. got home, at least that's what they would've called it originally. Every house on the street was in shambles, and when they got to Acer's house, the whole place was in flames. The people after the trio had gone and destroyed everything. Acer just stood there staring at what used to be his home.

"No, this isn't happening. This just can't be happening. There's no fucking way!" Acer had a waterfall of tears cascading down his face.

"NOOOOOO!"

As Acer shouted that, Vector and Rio were just watching him, and were in a similar state. Rio walked over, and tapped Acer on the shoulder. Acer just stood and looked at her. Rio then wrapped her arms around Acer, trying to comfort him. After a few seconds she let go.

"C'mon, let's see if we can find the other emperors, and maybe a few others who would be willing to help." Rio said.

Acer just nodded. The trio got on their duel runners, and left the scene.

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it, the big disaster I warned you about. Most of humanity has turned on my kind. And if you're so curious, Vector and Rio never got around to that duel. Things were great. Then they were bad. Then worse. Then it was just pure disaster. The Barian race is on the verge of extinction. My self-appointed mission: To save it. My name is Acer Yuza. I may be human, but I'm also Barian, and my kind will survive, no matter how many duel cards I have to lay out.<strong>

_**Yu-Gi-Oh!**_ _**Free**_ _**Riders**_


	8. Chapter 8: Present Day

**It didn't get much better after we left what was my old home. All we could do was lie low, while military men patrolled the streets, picking up any Barians they saw. We even witnessed some of them get captured, and knowing that we didn't stand a chance, could only watch as it happened. We managed to locate Shark, Yuma, Tori, Kite, Hart, and Orbital 7, who were luckily on our side. We also managed to find us a hideout on the outskirts of the city. Unfortunately, we couldn't manage to find any of the other emperors, and our numbers were dwindling. We could only hope they escaped. This was all a year ago, and living like this had an effect on me. I became a little more cold and serious. I spent almost every moment I had training and preparing for the first sign of trouble. Yuma, Tori, and Vector were 17. Rio, Shark and I were 18. Kite was 22. Hart was 12.**

* * *

><p>Present Day:<p>

Acer Yuza is walking through an alleyway, with a hood up. His appearance has changed since a year ago. His hair in the back of his head has grown, giving it a slight mullet appearance. He replaced his old fingerless gloves with leather biker gloves. He wore a leather jacket with long solid coattails, with a red tank-top underneath. He wore white pants instead of his old cargos, and he replaced his sneakers with knee-high black men's boots with a red stripe going vertical down the front center.

Acer stopped walking and checked his surroundings. He pulled out a calculator looking device, and entered 4-3-1-1. Nearby a dumpster, a secret door opened. He went to the door and walked down some stairs. The door closed behind him.

At the bottom of the stairs was a large room. Rio, Kite, and Orbital 7 were on the computers, hacking into databases. Shark and Yuma were wearing wife beaters working on duel runners. Because of them, Yuma, Rio, and Tori now had duel runners, and they modded Sharks old motorcycle and turned it into a duel runner. Kite was next. Hart was handing them tools as they needed them. Vector was doing pull-ups, and stopped when he saw Acer. Acer groaned and sat down, rubbing his arm.

"You alright bud?" Vector said. Acer snickered. "Minor flesh wound." Acer lifted up his sleeve, showing a 2nd degree burn. "God damn taser. Cops are upping their game."

Vector's eyes widened. "Minor flesh wound, my ass. That's bad man."

"No shit. Go get Rio."

Vector walked away and came back with Rio. She tended to Acer's wound.

"I can't believe you're not even flinching." Rio said, wrapping up the burn.

"Maybe I would've a year ago." Acer pulled down his sleeve. "I'll just work this off. I feel like smashing some punching bags anyway."

Rio just sighed. "Where did the time go?" She got up and went back to the computer.

Yuma got up from underneath the duel runner and pressed the throttle. He heard the engine rev.

"Looks like its working. Kite's finally got a runner."

Shark got up with a grunt. "I still can't believe the Barians were labeled a threat all those years ago."

"Your not the only one Shark." Vector said as he walked in.

"I know that. And I also heard you and Acer talking. Just how bad is it?"

"It's the type of wound that people like Acer shrug it off and act like it was nothing. What a faker."

"That bad, huh? That idiot. What happened anyway?"

"He said a cop tased him, but didn't elaborate."

"You guys really wanna' know what happened?" Acer had walked in.

"As a matter of fact, we would." Yuma cut in.

"Wait, you said you were gonna' use the punching bags." Rio said.

"I heard you talking and got curious. Anyhow, I was walking around looking for a bite to eat, when a cop sneaks up on me and asks I come with him. Trying to keep it cool, I ask why, and he put's a hand on my shoulder. I notice he's reaching for his taser, so I turn and punch him in the face. I try to run, but he grabs my arm and holds the taser there for a little bit, which is why the burn was so bad. When he released, kicked him in the crotch and took off."

"I believe you on the meeting with the cop, but for a bite to eat? That's the best lie you could come up with? We barely even have the money." Rio said, glaring.

"Alright, alright! I heard there was an underground tournament and I went on a search for it."

"Acer that's dangerous! Don't risk going out there to duel when you have eight others here with decks!" Kite said.

"Whatever, did you find anything useful?"

"No, we only knew what we did before, that its Barian season."

"Well that's just perfect." Acer got on his runner and started the engine. A door to the hideout opened.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rio said.

"We're not getting anywhere down here. I'm going out to find a few leads." Acer gunned it and left the area. Rio got on her runner and went after him.

"What are those dumbasses thinking?!" Yuma said, about to get on his runner. Tori grabbed his hand.

"No Yuma. You'll just be making the same mistake they are."

Yuma grunted and closed the door.

"Guess they're on their own."


	9. Chapter 9: In on the Action

Acer drove along, looking for any helpful info. He stopped to look around, and noticed that Rio had pulled up.

"Acer, what are you thinking? It's not worth the risk coming out here!"

"Rio, we've been in hiding for over a year now, and I'm sick of waiting to find an advantage in this situation. Besides, I'm a skilled duelist on a fast duel runner. No one will catch me. If you go back to the hideout, you're going back alone."

Rio just sat there on her runner, wondering what she should do. She sighed.

"I'll probably regret this, but skilled or not, you'll need someone to watch your back out here, especially since you're wounded."

Acer laughed. "Hehehe, and it would be nice to have some company."

Rio smiled. Even though he grew a tough outer shell, the Acer that Rio crushed on a year ago always found a way to slip through the cracks.

"Alright, lets get moving."

Acer and Rio drove around for a little bit, spying on authority to try and find some info. Not having any luck, they rounded a corner and hid in an alleyway.

"Man, with all the crime movies we've watched, you'd think one dumb cop would let something slip."

Then, as if by magic...

"Man, what do you think they want them for, anyway?"

Acer and Rio just stood there. Then they peeked around a corner and saw two men talking. One of them was a cop.

"What are you talking about?"

"A year ago, the Barians were labeled a threat, but no one told us why. We were at peace with them."

"I don't know, but I don't ask questions about this crap. I just take in who the law wants, that's it."

Acer and Rio were a little shocked at what they heard.

"Even the cops don't know why they were told to take us in?" Rio said.

"But we do know when someone is talking behind our backs."

Acer and Rio were stunned. There cover was blown! After a few seconds, Acer saw no use in hiding and came out, surprising Rio.

"It was getting boring hiding anyway."

The cop got a smug look.

"You do realize, I'm not just gonna' let you leave, right?"

"Maybe. Can't really say I give a rat's ass, though. But I heard you talking, and I gotta' ask, is this really justice to you? Taking in innocents because of their species? Because I can definitely say that more than half of my kind is thinking, 'Where did we go wrong?'"

"Guess what? I don't give a rat's ass either. I'm just working on the mission I was assigned."

"Wow you sound like such a hero." Rio said, coming out of her hiding spot.

"Two Barians for the price of one. That makes things interesting." The cop said, readying his duel disk.

"No you don't. Rio, get outta' here. I got this guy."

"No way. I'm staying. In fact, I'll duel him."

"You sure about that?" Acer asked, surprised.

"Come on, let the girl get a piece of the action." The cop butted in.

"Alright then, let's do this!"

Rio and the cop set their duel disks and gazers, and got ready to rumble.

"LET'S DUEL!"


End file.
